Duncan regrets 'white suburban moms' comment

[The Straight Story]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Monday said he regretted his "clumsy phrasing" in singling out white suburban moms for opposing new higher academic standards.

Duncan has consistently shown little patience for critics of the Common Core State Standards, being implemented in 45 states and the District of Columbia. But his remarks, as reported by Politico, went a step further and add elements of race and class.

"It's fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming from, sort of, white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn't as brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn't quite as good as they thought they were, and that's pretty scary," Duncan said Friday in Richmond, Va. "You've bet your house and where you live and everything on, 'My child's going to be prepared.' That can be a punch in the gut."

The Education Department said no official transcript of the remarks exists, but did not dispute Politico's account.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/11/18/duncan-regrets-comment/3634775/?sf19635383=1

[Scuba]

1. And we regret Duncan.

[liberal_at_heart]

11. too bad Obama doesn't.

[Mass]

2. Not the first comment he has that is disturbing.

His comment about voluntary desegregation is just as problematic.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/09/06/what-arne-duncans-comments-on-racial-integration-reveal/

I fundamentally think the need for integration and more integrative schools is very real, and there are things that we can do. Obviously, there are housing patterns that present challenges.… But I was fortunate to go to an integrated school, you know, all the way through K-12.

And I don’t think I could do a job like this was I not, you know, didn’t have that kind of opportunity. And far too many children today are denied that opportunity. So, yes, we want to do everything to make sure they’re, you know, getting rigorous course work and have great teachers and are academically prepared for college. But you want children to grow up comfortable and confident with other people who come from different backgrounds from them.

And if they don’t have those opportunities—not that you can’t learn it as an adult, but it’s much harder. So whatever we can do to continue to increase integration in a voluntary way—I don’t think you could force these kinds of things—we want to be very, very thoughtful and to try to do more in that area quite frankly.

Voluntary disegregation, because, of course, kids in inner cities are there in segregated schools because this is what their parents want, not because of poverty.

[yardwork]

3. He should regret it. It was a really stupid thing to say.

This is why Republicans keep winning elections. When supposed Democrats are busy alienating white suburbanites we have an uphill battle.

[bemildred]

4. Go back to Wall Street, they like grifters there. nt

[cilla4progress]

5. Aside from how it plays -

is it true?

[Bandit]

7. Whether "white" suburbanites feel better about their schools than black suburbanites?

Or are we expected to believe ONLY whites are suburbanites?

[Bluenorthwest]

8. But it's not ALL white suburbanites, it's just the Moms according to Duncan

His comment is racist, sexist and classist.

[Nay]

6. They always regret it when they accidentally utter the truth of how much

contempt they have for anyone but themselves.

I don't regret it, though, because it reveals the true character (or lack thereof) of the utterer.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. His comments had elements of race, class and gender, he blames 'Moms' not parents

Duncan has a sort of trifecta of snobbery going on, to be kind about it. Not very well spoken for a man who preaches at others about education is he?

[Nye Bevan]

10. He implies that no black mom thinks her kid is smart or that her school is good.

Stupid, ugly stereotyping.

[scheming daemons]

12. if he simply said "suburban parents", he would've been right

Suburban parents do have a hard time believing their children aren't as brilliant as they thought.

I am one.

Singling out race and gender was incredibly stupid.

[liberal_at_heart]

13. Not all of us are that way. Some of us recognize that our children are individuals that have

their own strengths and weaknesses. My daughter for example is a very creative and expressive person. Her strengths are reading, writing, critical thinking, art. She does very well in math and science as well. Her weaknesses are time management and organizational skills. I have to stay on her all the time to meet deadlines. Not meeting deadlines has made a mess of her trying to get financial aid and getting signed up for classes at college. My son is autistic and is two years behind his peers academically. I recognize that he has to take things slow. However Duncan and Obama seem to think his teachers and I can snap our fingers and he will magically catch up to his peers. My son does have incredible strengths as well as weaknesses. My son thinks outside of the box. He sees unique solutions to problems most people would never think of. He has a good memory. He is so funny. He is an analytical thinker. He has determination and perseverance. He also has dysgraphia which makes it very hard for him to organize his thoughts, and affects his writing skills. My son's resouce English class which is a special education class is suppose to follow the Common Core Curriculum. I say to hell with that. I have told my son to do his best and do what he can and don't worry if something doesn't get finished or if he doesn't do as well on a test as he may have wanted to. We have a motto we follow. Do what you can. Don't worry about the rest. Our kids are individuals. It's time Duncan and Obama realized that.